[Q] Xperia M video/still camera questions (blueish tint)

Greetings, Xperia M, Build 15.1.C.2.8, Half-rooted (unable to do the full root, I don't know why so I can't do the RW thing)

Like most of you have probably noticed, the stock camera firmware has a bluish tint problem. The camera works great in the daytime, really good actually. But doing some camera app testing in a darkened atmosphere I took some pics in my bedroom with the flash, and the pics look really BLUE. My walls aren't blue, they are yellow haha. After testing with other android camera apps such as ProCapture, the pics look as they should (no blue walls). So it's obvious that it is the stock sony camera firmware that is at fault since other camera apps make the pics look normal.

So saying this I went ahead and froze (disabled) the stock camera app so I could launch ProCapture with the hardware shutter button. But now I have no video recording app ugh. So two-fold question please:

1) Is there a way to make our hardware shutter button open up a different camera app such as ProCapture? If so, how please? (Like mentioned above I was only able to half-root it, the full root instructions just haven't worked for me no matter how many times I tried)

2) If not, and I do have to disable the stock camera app so I can launch ProCapture with the hardware button, can you recommend me what video recording app I can install that can takeover just video recording duties? I think it would need to be for video recording only otherwise I may run into problems with the hardware shutter button again. It has been remarkably hard to find a video recording app on the app store! I have no idea why this is.

Thanks much for your help. BTW, I like the phone. For the price, I think it's really good. And more importantly, the size and shape fits me perfectly

For your 1st question.... I'm not really sure on the x m but when I was still using an mtk phone I was able to change the camera button to open any app I want in android.policy.jar or was it framework.jar (cant recall).. Cant remember which smali it was but I stumbled on it via search for text using notepad++ ... I searched for com.android.gallery in our Xperia case you should search for semc.android.camera (not sure if thats the correct package name for the stock camera app) and change it with the package name of the camera app or whatevar app you want the camera button to launch

Thanks for the replies. As far as LGCamera goes, it seems to not have been updated in almost two years so I left that one alone. Did find an app called "A Better Camera" which also has video recording in it. So I disabled the stock camera and have just been using A Better Camera and it also launches from the hardware button. Better pics too in the dark with the flash. At least my yellow walls aren't blue

Edit: Okay, I have found a way to be able to launch a third party camera from the hardware button WITHOUT freezing (totally disabling) the stock camera app. This then will allow you to use a third-party camera app such as ProCapture etc (that don't have a built in video recorder), allow you to switch between the third-party app and the stock video recorder, but then also launch the third-party app using the hardware shutter button. In other words, the best of all solutions.

You need to at least half-root the Xperia-M (many threads found here how to do that) then get the AutoStarts app from the play store: (not allowed to post links yet). Just search AutoStarts from Michael Elsdörfer

Once you start AutoStarts, scroll down and find "Camera Button Pressed". Select Disable for all the cameras EXCEPT the one you want to use the hardware button for. You're done now. All the camera apps that you selected disable for will still work when using their icons, the one you didn't disable will be the one that starts with the hardware shutter button.

Note: I also tried the app "Default App Manager Pro" and set ProCapture as the default camera. But that didn't do anything, no effect on the hardware shutter button (still opened the stock camera). So far the AutoStarts method is the only one that has worked for me.

XDA Developers was founded by developers, for developers. It is now a valuable resource for people who want to make the most of their mobile devices, from customizing the look and feel to adding new functionality.Are you a developer?